1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to scanning microscope devices.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-123912, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
In the related art, a known microscope device has a spectroscope disposed in a light-detection optical path so as to perform spectrum detection of light released from a sample (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2003-185581). In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2003-185581, a laser scanning microscope (LSM) is configured to disperse light passing through a confocal pinhole in a descan optical path by using a diffraction grating, and to acquire spectral data by using a multi-anode photomultiplier tube (PMT) having 32 detectors (cells) disposed one-dimensionally at positions where the spectrum is generated. Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2003-185581 also discusses disposing a diffraction grating and a multi-anode PMT in a non-descan optical path effective for multiphoton detection so as to perform spectrum detection of non-descan light in a similar manner to that of descan light.
However, when an image is formed in the non-descan optical path at a conjugate position with respect to a confocal pinhole in FIG. 6 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2003-185581, the light moves in the confocal pinhole in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis simultaneously with the scanning process, which is a problem in that spectral data of only a single point near the optical-axis center of a sample surface can be acquired. Another problem is that, since scattered light is blocked by the confocal pinhole or a slit disposed in the light-detection optical path, the detection efficiency of fluorescence is significantly impaired. Moreover, when a pupil position of an objective lens is disposed at a conjugate position with respect to the aforementioned pinhole, the angle of incidence of light incident on the pinhole may change due to scanning, but the position thereof does not. However, since a pupil has a certain surface area, a large portion of projected incident light is blocked by the pinhole, resulting in a significant loss in the fluorescence.